Question reference: S3W-40152
- Date lodged: 3 March 2011
-
Current status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 March 2011
Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will announce additional support for people infected with hepatitis C or HIV through NHS treatment with blood or blood products.
Answer
I have made an announcement on 4 March 2011 to extend the current support provisions in line with the recently published Contaminated Blood Review report, to:
Introduce an annual payment of £12,800 for those living with hepatitis C who qualify for Stage 2 payments from the Skipton Fund;
Allow posthumous clams for support to be made on behalf of people who died before 29 August 2003;
Increase the one-off payment made to those who qualify for Stage 2 payments from £25,000 to £50,000 (whether the patient is alive or dead);
Give access to discretionary fund for patients and/or their dependants suffering financial hardship;
Relevant patients who develop hepatitis C-related B cell lymphoma to be eligible to claim for Stage 2 payment; and
Increase the annual payment for those with hepatitis C/HIV in line with the consumer price index.
I understand that patient representatives believe that payments to those in Stage 1 of the illness should also be increased. I am also therefore announcing that this issue, and the implementation of the measures confirmed today, will be reviewed when we consider the final report (and any recommendations) of the Penrose Inquiry.
The cost of these new provisions is estimated to be around £18 million over the next
five years. Funding for the first year has been earmarked from the health budget for 2011-12 and, thereafter, funding will be provided through future health budgets.